THE LADIES

Observer, Volume v, Issue 115, 25 November 1882, Page 168

THE LADIES

The Princess Beatrice has just been elected an honorary member of the Institute of Painters in Water Colours. The greatest beauty in Prince Feramorz's harem, in Turkey, has been interviewed by Mrs G-eneral Lew Wallace. Mine. Anna Bishop has determined to write her recollections of the stage. She has kept a prettyfull record of the principal events of her life. Lady Strangford, with her staff of nurses and others thoroughly trained in hospital work are at Ismaila, doing their utmost for sick and wounded. The Rational Dress Society is going to offer a prize of £30 for a female dress which shall combine ease, comfort, elegance and health. Mile. Berthe de Rothschild, who recently became a Catholic and the wife of the Prince de Wagram, is mistress of a fortune of £124,000 a year. The Countess De Noailles has given £100 to the fund for supplying nurses and ambulance district visitors in Egypt, under Lady Strangford's management. The first women to' make the ascent of Mount Washington, by the Crawford bridle path, without escort, are Helen I. Stevens and C. W. Herrick, two New York girls. It is said that women who ride tricycles in England are beginning to wear either trousers or the so-called divided skirt of Lady Habberfcon's j invention. Wo woman in the United States is said to give away so much as Mrs John Jacob Astor. Perhaps no other has as much to give, which, however, does not impair that woman's generosity. 250 dollars was the generous sum allowed by the English Government to Cetewayo to buy presents for his 29 wives. Wot so munificent as to appear like encouraging polygamy. Mont Blanc was scaled recently twice in one week by Mrs Burnaby, wife of the hero of the Ride to Khiva, by two different routes, one of which obliged her to spend the night in the snow. -Her Majesty The Queen has, in the most gracious terms, been pleased to accept a copy of the " Dictionary of Needlework," the joint work of Miss S. F. A. Caulfeild and Miss B. C. Saward. Mrs Langtry's dresses for her American campaign, made by Worth, were shown by the fair owner to Mrs Cornwallis-Wesfe and Lady Augsta Fane, and highly admired by those excellent critics. Mvs Langtry cleared £8123 during the twelve ■weeks of her provincial tour. She does not speculate in her American campaign, but accepts a modest certainty of £700 a week and the payment of all expenses . Miss F. E. Coleman, of New York, succeeded in sliding down Mount Washington on a board the other day, doing 3 miles in 13 minutes, attended by two old soldiers — a novel and dangerous experiment. T.R.H. the Princesses Louise, Victoria, and Maud presented a very handsome scrap-book to the little patients in the Royal Hospital for I children and women, Waterloo-bridge-road, on ! the occasion of their recent visit. The Ohio beauty. Miss Jennie Chamberlain, is still the rage in England. She has been made a good deal of by the Prince of Wales, and his influence will doubtless get her plenty of invitations to country houses during the winter, as it is announced she is to pass the next few months in London. The diamond bracelet presented by the ladies of Chester to the Duchess of Westminster is a joorte-lonlieur. It consists of eleven splendid brilliants set in a half -hoop. The bracelet was presented in a blue velvet case, upon which were the arms of Cavendish and Grrosvenor in silver gilt with, the arms of the City of Chester beneath. Miss Mary Grant has executed a marble cenotaph, with portrait bust, which is to be placed in Dumferline Abbey as a memorial of Lady Charlotte Locker, wife of the poet, Frederick Locker. She was a direct descendant of Robert Bruce, and one of her children has married one of the Tennyson's. The Duchesse de Placentia, second sister of the Prince de Wagram, is said to be the most beautiful woman of her day, at least such is the opinion of many excellent judges. The Duohesse de Gramont, the Princess de Wagram's eldest sister, is also a most handsome woman. Wherever she goes there is a murmur of admiration, which is particularly gratifying to her. In the late " military manoeuvres " of the Gfer- I man army, the Crown Princess, wearing the little hussar cap with its long plume, and the black jacket with white braid, rode at the head of the Black Hussars, of which she is colonel. She carried her riding-whip sword-wise, and with the other commanding officers took her place at the right side of the old Emperor as her regiment filed past. Among the wedding presents to the Princess •de Wagram was a lovely parasol. It was very large, made of white satin, and trimmed with " point de gaze " six inches deep. The stick wa3 of ebony, with a solid ball of silver for the handle, on which was engraved a princess's coronet. Four panels of the parasol were exquisitely painted with passion-flowers, forget-me-nots, and Heartsease. The parasol was altogether a work of art. Madame Adelina Patti recently gave a morning concert at Swansea in aid of the local hospital, at which £800 was realised. Madame Patti looked charming in her light blue satin dress, wreathed with a garland of roses from shoulder to skirt, and further ornamented with amber bugles and brown embroidery. The sleeves of the dress were cut short, and the arms covered with long gloves of buff colour, while the right wrist was clasped by a handsome diamond bracelet. At the conclusion of the concert some five or six thousand people were waiting for her outside the hall, and accompanied her on her way to the railway station as she returned home. ,